Some surgical interventions require the repair of tissue, e.g., closure of the tissue or graft fixation. These procedures may include, for example, treatment of atrial septal defects (ASD), patent foramen ovale (PFO), left atrial appendage closure, stent graft fixation, and hernia repair, among others.
ASDs and PFOs are considered to be two of the leading contributors to embolic stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and one of the leading causes of adult disability. It is estimated that 80% of strokes are preventable and that repair of existing ASDs and PFOs will reduce the incidence. When ASDs and PFOs are present in the heart, a debilitating condition may occur. Deoxygenated blood may pass from the right atrium through either the ASD and/or PFO into the oxygenated blood of the left atrium. It has been estimated that approximately one in four individuals in the general population have a PFO. Individuals who have unknown causes of stroke (cryptogenic stroke), have a 40 percent increase in the likelihood of a PFO being present. PFO is even more prevalent in individuals who have had strokes under that age of 55.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,220,265 describes a device for closure of PFO, wherein a catheter is directed into proximity of the PFO. The catheter is inserted between the septum primum and the septum secundum into the left atrium. The catheter then deploys a first closure member, e.g., a “grappling hook element,” in the left atrium. The catheter is then drawn back into the right atrium where a second closure member, e.g., a second grappling hook element, is deployed. The first and second closure members are connected by a central connecting member such that the septal tissues are compressed together between the two opposed closure members. U.S. Pat. No. 7,220,265 also discloses a method of closing the PFO using sutures, whereby implantable anchors purportedly limit the need for a continuous thread. The devices and methods of U.S. Pat. No. 7,220,265 require maneuvering of a medical device, e.g., a catheter or suture needle, in both the right and left atria. This may present substantial complexity and difficulty to the procedure, possibly increasing the likelihood of surgeon error and/or increasing the time required to complete the procedure.
Further, typical existing anchors are configured to joining soft tissue to hard tissue, since there is no way to take out the slack with soft tissue to soft tissue joining.
Thus, there is a need for a closure mechanism and method that is simple to operate and only requires access to one side of the tissue or tissues. Further, there is a need for a reliable closure that may be precisely located.
Moreover, some tissue defects, e.g., some heart defects and inguinal hernias, require the implantation of a mesh. In the example of an inguinal hernia, the mesh is intended to create a barrier against abdominal cavity contents protruding through a defect the abdominal peritoneum and inguinal canal. A known treatment for such hernias involves applying a single anchor to a mesh, e.g., a square mesh, then pulling the mesh taut and applying a second anchor to the mesh. This sequential fastening and tightening is repeated until the mesh is secured over the defect. This method is procedurally costly and time consuming, however, and there is a risk that the mesh may not be properly or sufficiently tautened, which could render the mesh ineffective in preventing the protrusion of the abdominal cavity contents through the inguinal canal.
Thus, there is also need for an implanting mechanism and method that allows for a quick and reliable securement of a mesh to repair a tissue defect, e.g., allowing for simultaneous application of fasteners.
Further, there is a need for a mechanism and method that reduces procedural costs and allows access to difficult-to-reach locations of the anatomy.